Transcatheter valve used in a bailout technique during complicated open mitral valve surgery

Here, we describe the case of a 62-year old woman who required aortic and mitral valve replacement plus coronary artery bypass grafting. Transoesophageal echocardiogram revealed stenosis of the aortic valve (Ao valve area, 0.9 cm(2); PG, 45 mmHg; MG, 25 mmHg) and a diseased calcified mitral valve with stenosis and regurgitation (mitral valve area, 1.1 cm(2); MG, 10 mmHg; RV, 25 ml; ERO, 12 mm(2)). The mitral annulus calcifications were very deep into the left atrium and the left ventricle muscle, around the full annulus circumference. We decided to avoid complete deep mitral annulus decalcification. The left atrium was surgically exposed, and we deployed a 26-mm Edwards SAPIEN XT endovalve through the left atriotomy. To prevent paravalvular leakage, we then used a pericardial patch to close the gap between the endovalve and the calcified mitral annulus. The postoperative echocardiogram showed perfect anchoring of the endovalve in the mitral annulus without any paravalvular leakage.